Card filing system



Sept. 3, 1963 .1. H. LOGAN 3,102,542

CARD FILING SYSTEM Filed Feb. 1, 1960 Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY www Z 52 ATTORNEYS Sept. 3, 1963 Filed Feb. l, 1960 J. H. LOGAN 3,102,542

CARD FILING SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ENTOR.

www M AT TORNEYS United States Patent O M 3,102,542 CARD FEING SYSTEM John H. Logan, Harbor Acres, Port Washington, N. Filed Feb. l, 1960, Ser. No. 5,829 3 Claims. (CI. 129-I6) The present invention relates to improvements in visible record card tiling systems, and to the trays and parts thereof. The improvements are particularly pertinent to the trays and parts which are most always in daily use, and where the record 'cards for the system are easily withdrawn, notations made thereon, and replaced in the filing trays.

The improved invention herein particularly relates to a tray which supports, substantially vertically, the accounting and blank loose record cards. The tray in this improved structure is considerably wider than any one of the cards, thus providing for .a large number of record cards with minimum apparatus for supporting them in a manner to allow most eficient use.

One of the main features of this invention is to provide a visible record card ling apparatus which is subject to constant use of inserting and removing the record cards, and which provides for many sections therein, each of which encompasses a series of loose cards relating to a definite sub-division of a particular subject matter.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of means for mountingT these sections in a tray in such a manner that each section may be pivoted through approximately .a 40 angle (20 each side of the vertical) so that the cards enclosed within any one of the'sections is viewable by the operator because the cards' will be off the vertical by approximately A further feature of the invention is to provide an improved structure of section, or spacer panel, as it will be hereinafter called, that will readily accept cards therein, and which maybe pivoted through the approximately 40 angle without causing the cards to be lifted otf guides that prevent transverse displacement and without causing the lower ends of the cards to be pushed or slid with resulting Wear and tear and eventual replacement. v

Another feature of this improved invention is to provide a definite type of spacer panel or section of an improved construction which reduces friction to the minimum between the spacer panels when they are pivoted `or rocked through the 40 angles, and provides for their assemblyand maintenance in proper and satisfactory operating position in the tray or holder.

A further advantage and feature of the invention herein are the provisions of an improved structure which may be sold as a single funit to ybe placed in the drawer of a desk and `which will receive the spacer panels and the loose record cards. This unit is constructed to have a door material which normally engages and prevents the bottom edges of the cards from moving or sliding as they are tipped or rocked through an angle of approximately 40.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of an improved cabinet tray for receiving therein the panels in definite predetermined position so that the panels will not slide in the tray to force the loose record cards to lift or to have their bottom edges slide along the bottom of the tray.

This application is a continuation-impart of my application Serial No. 425,470, filed April 26, 1954, now

abandoned. j l

Other objects and advantages and features of the invention will be described below in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a side view of `a tray of a ling cabinet showing one form of the ends of spacer panels;

Patented Sept. 3, i963 ice FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a preferred form of spacer panel; i

FIGURE 3 is a top view of the upper ends o-f three adjacent spacer panels illustrating one means of holding the spacer panels apart;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 4a is a fragmentary, sectional view showing the construction of the roughened surface `on the bottom of the tray;

FIGURE 5 'is an enlarged view of one of the bottom ycorners illustrated in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a view of a modified form of spacer panel positioning means heldin the base of the tray;

FIGURE 7 is `a sectional view of .part of a panel and Y the tray taken on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of a corner of a tray with the positioning means illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7 and as afXed on the bottom of the tray of the cabinet for receiving the spacer panels;

FIGURE 8a is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectiona View on the line {Ia--a of FIGURE 7; y

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of a corner of a tray illustrating another means of holding the spacer panels in predetermined position;

FIGURE l0 is a perspective view of a separate unit l'for Iassembly in a desk drawer or the like;

FIGURE 1l is a sectional view through a part of a desk drawer having the unit of FIGURE l0 located therein; and

FIGURE l2 is a perspective view of a spacer block employed as an alternate for the spacer wheel.

Referring now to these drawings, a tray or holder '18 is shown in FIGURE 1 in section, and a series of spacer panels I9 are shown mounted in the tray in a preferred manner to prevent the lower ends of these space-r panels from sliding along the bottom 20 of the tray 18. In the daily use of the card filing system, the spacer panels are rocked or oscillated many times through an angle of approximately 40 so that the operator with the tray positioned on his desk, or near his desk, can readily see the cards 2l positioned or encompassed within the spacer panel in a manner to be easily viewable to him.

It is desired that these spacer panels will easily cooperate with each other with the least frictional engagement so that wearing of the spacer panels is lat a minimum, and so that there is practically no friction in oscillating or rocking these panels. One means of' accomplishing these results is the provision of loosely mounted rollers 22 near the top` edges of the spacer panels.` It is preferred that these rollers be mounted loosely on their shafts, and that the shafts be long enough so the rollers do not bind against the spacer panel structure.y

` It is preferred that these spacer panels 19 lbe for-med with a back 23 and fianges 24 and 25 extending from the back in the same direction. The rollers 22 are mounted far enough 'along on the flanges 24 and 25 to- Ward the front so that the spacer panels are held out of engagement with each other by always havinigthe rollers 22 in .contact with the adjacent panels.

As a yfurther means :of reducing frictional engagement between the spacer panels, and for the purpose of properly mounting these spacer panels in the tray I8, it is desired to provide the panels at their Iower edges with loosely mounted rollers 26 and 27. These rollers support the spacer panels by being positioned in contact with the bottom of the tray I8, and there are suicient of these spacer panels in the tray so that the rollers 26 and 27 will engage the like positioned rollers in the :adjacent spacer panels, and thus substantially till the length of the tray 1S as noted in FIGURE l. As alternate elements to rollers 26 and 27, reference is rnade to FIGURE l2 wherein a series of blocks 51 may be employed and are loosely mounted on the shaft that normally holds the rollers 26 and 2'7. rIhe blocks v51 may be square or rectangular, and are slidable in the channels or grooves 32 and 33. rl`l1e spacer panels 23, when supported by the blocks 51, may be oscillated the same as when rollers 2o Kand 2-7 are employed, tand the pivoting of the spacer panels 23 will still be in `a plane which passes through Y the top of the flocked `libers `as shown at 34.

' The preferred construction of tray 18 provides for vertical sides 29 which preferably are contiguous with the bottom 20 of tray `18, and has the ltwo ends 30 and 31 mounted between the vertical sides 29, but at tangles to vthe vertical so that the spacer panels may be rocked back and forth through their approximately 40 travel.

In employing the `cards 21, which by reference to FIG- URE 4, are shown to be much smaller in width than the width or length of the spacer panels, it is desired to have the cards mounted within or between the panels in `a manner so that the cards themselves rock on their bottom edges as the spacer panels :are rocked or oscillated and to have these cards so mounted that there is no .force by the spacer panels causing the cards toy slide lalong the bottom 2li of the tray `18.

In mounting the cards in the tray 18 and between the spacer panels, it is desired that the mounting be such that the bases or bottoms of the cards and the pivoting of the spacer panels shall both pivot in the same plane.

If the pivoting of the panel and the pivoting of the card v areV in different planes, then the cards tend to be lifted by the swinging panels and away from `the bottom of the tray and from guides 39 that prevent transverse displacement of the cards.

If there is not suflicient friction against the panels to lift the cards, then the cards `are pushed along the bottom 20 of the tray 18 and Wear or become torn. It, therefore, is desired to construct the free surface of the bottom 20 of tray 18 in a manner to engage the bottom edges ofthe cards in the same plane with the pivotal axis of the spacers, and so far `as possible, to prevent the cards from being pushed along the bottom of the tray. In accomplishing this result, the free surface of the bottom 20 may be roughened or may be provided with material which is somewhat llexible and engages the bottom `edges of the cards and to prevent them from being pushed or. slid out of their normal assembled positions.

It has been known to provide the top surface of bottom 20 with a lcorduroy for engagement with the bottom edges of the cards. However, the corduroy does not :function to yaccomplish the desired results because the pivot or oscillating planes/,of the spacer panels lare different from those of the cards and they are lifted or forced toslide. With corduroy, the bottom edges of the cards drop down by various `degress into the corduroy `and thus do nottpivot from the same level as the spacer panel.

'I'lh'e preferred construction herein `of the mounting of the spacer panels and the provision of a roughened surface on the bottom 20 of the tray 181 has been constructed to have the rplane of pivoting or rocking of the spacer panels coincide with the top of Ithe roughened sur-face on the bottom 20. In laccomplishing this end result in the preferred structure, and employing the rollers 26 and 27 for supporting the spacer panels, the tray 18y :at its bottom is formed with channels or grooves or `offsets 32 and 33 for receiving the rollers 26 and 27 so that the axes 31 (FIGURES l-S) of these rollers are in the same plane as lthe top of the rough surface formed by a flocked coatv card-supporting surface on which Aby an adhesive element 35 (FIGUREa) which oftentimes is a glued paper. It is preferred that this element 34 having the roughened surface shall be made of llocked fiber placed on one side of a paper 317 having glue or other adhesive 38 on both sides and then readily applying the other side of the paper to the surface of bottom 2li of the tray 18. It is preferred that this llocked liber be a little llexible and irregular on its surface for engaging the bottom edges 36 of the cards 21 to support them in the same plane as the axes of the rollers 26 and 27. Alsof it is preferred that the thickness of the intermingled `fibers be no more than 1A@ inch. When desired, the added element 34 may be made of rayon-velour instead-of the't inter-mingled flock fibers, and rayon-velour has been foundi to be very satisfactory for the purpose of maintaining cards in the assembled position during the rocking or oscillating and it gives ilexibility of engagement with the bottoms of the cards while maintaining them in assembled position.

Referring to FIGURES 4 and 5, it will be especially noted that the spacer panels y19 are supported on their rollers 26 and 27 at a height where the axes of these rollers are in a plane passing along the top of .the flocking bers 34, thus permitting the proper positioning of the spacer panels for their oscillating or rocking, and carrying the cards within the spacer panel in oscillating fashion and pivoting about the same axis .as the spacer panel.

In FIGURE 4 particularly, the ridges 39' are providedA #for receiving notches 38 formed in the bottom edges of the cards 21, lthus preventing the cards from moving sidef v wise once they are mounted Within the spacer panels and in contact with the flocking material or fibers 34.

Since the cards 21 `are arranged in overlapping shingle f fashion transversely of the spacer panel 19, it will be evident that the thick-ness of the group of cards increases toward the center of the lilc. This increased thickness at` the center portion of the le would cause the spacer panels 19 -to bow outwardly toward the center were it not for the flanges 24 and 2S, and the wheels 22 and 26, which space the successive panels 19 lapart by a distance equal to at least the maximum thickness of [the :group of cards between the spacer panels, when the tiling apparatus has its maximum intended number of cards in the space between each two successive panels.

It is desirable `to have the panels 19 made of thin material, such as sheet metal, so as not to take up space which could otherwise be used 'for ling. On the other hand, the spacer panels 19 should not be t-oo flexible since excessive bending of these panels when swinging them one way or another interferes with the proper operation of the apparatus. In the construction ilLustrated, the upper end of each panel 19 has a hem 23a ati the upper edge of the panel above the tops of the cards 21. This hem stiiens the panel 19 and does -not take up filing. space since it is above the cards. By thus stiifening the upper part of the spacer panels, a lighter gauge material can be used for the spacer panels with resulting saving in tiling space. It is not necessary to provide a hem at the bottom of the spacer panels because the force for swinging ,the panels is applied to their upper edges; and in the preferred construction, other means Iare provided for preventing the lower portion of each panel lfrom bending.

Referring now to FIGURES 6, 7 and 8, a modiied form of mounting spacer panels 119' is shown. A quick and easy arrangement for mounting kthese spacer panels is shown by forming a base 40 with saw teeth 41 which` sides of the saw teeth 41 must be at least 40 and in practice, must be slightly more than 40 in order to accommodate the thickness of the material yfrom which the spacer panels are made, and to allow for some manufacturing tolerances. In practice, this angle 121 is approximately 42 to 44. This makes the angle 126 of each saw tooth with the bottom of the tray approximately 68 to 69. The lower ends i125a of flanges `125 are cut olf at an angle to backs `12? of the panels so as not to interfere -with the swinging of .the panels into a forward position, as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 6. This requires that the end of each flange 125 be cut off at an angle of approximately 68 with respect to the back `1123 of the panel; but this angle permits the portion of the flange 125 -to still remain behind its adjacent saw tooth 41 even when the spacer panel is swung into its rearward position, as shown in full lines in FIGURE 6. The advantage of having the flange 125 always remain between the saw tooth V41 and the side 129 of the tray will be explained in connection with FIGURE 8a.

The bottom portions 142 of each spacer panel 119 preferably take the Iform shown in FIGURES 6` and 7; and the lower edge 43 of each panel, where it rests on the bottom of the depression between successive teeth 41, is tapered to a chisel or feather edge so that each panel 119 rocks about an axis which passes through the location where the sloping sides of successive teeth 41 meet at the -bottom of one of the depressions or valleys between the teeth.

The depressions between the teeth are preferably located so as to leave the bottom edges of the spacer panels 119 also in contact with the top of the base 40. r.This increases the bearing area for the spacer panels 119, but it is more important to have the spacer panels supported by the sides of the saw teeth 4-1 at their lines of juncture than to have any contact on the base 40t since the base 40 provides no restraint against movement of the spacer panels lengthwise of the tray. A flocking material element 134 has its top surface level with axes 44 about which the spacer panels 119 oscillate, as shown in FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 8a shows an expedient for bracing the lower parts of the spacer panels against bending. The saw teeth 41 are spaced from the side of the tray 129 by a distance which is only slightly greater than the thickness of the iianges 125'. The clearance provided is only a few thous-andths of an inch, in practice. It constitutes a running clearance with provision :for lmanufacturing tolerances. In FIGURE 8a the clearance is exaggerated for better illustration.

When the spacer panel has its back 123 at right angles to the side 129 of the tray, this being the normal position of the spacer panel, the flange 1125 is parallel to the side 129 and to the line `of saw teeth 41. Upon any bending of the spacer panel back 123 caused by manual pulling or pushing against a mid portion of the panel, tends to shift the portions of the panel on both sides of the bend out of their right angular relation to the sides of the tray and into a position at an acute angle to the side 129, as shown in FIGURE 8a, the flange 125' which was formerly parallel to the side 129 moves into a cocked and parallel position between the saw teeth 41 and the side 129. No further movement of the panel back 123 can then take place without bending the rflange 125 throughout its own length or at its juncture wth the panel back `123.

Since the flange 125 is short, considerable force is required to bend it, -and it thus offers a substantial resistance to further bending of the panel back 123i. This provides a means for stiffening the lower por-tion of the spacer panel without increasing the thickness of the panel `and without using up ling space by such an increase in thickness.

In many instances it is desired to provide an improved base structure to tit into a desk drawer without employing or using a tray 13. For this purpose it is desired to provide a unit which fulfills the same end purposes as the structure illustrated in FIGURES l t'o `8, inclusive with the desk ydrawer conning the spacer panels.

Ditferentembodiments of such a funit are illustrated in FIGURES 9, 10 and 1l. In FIGURE 9, the tray has a bottom 20a covered by an element 34 made of docking material, and the tray shown inFIGURE 9 has a modified construction for maintaining the bottom edges of the spacer panels 119 (FIGURE 6) in desired positions for oscillating or rocking. 'Ihis modified construction in FIGURE 9 has a small steel strip 4S corrugated to form teeth 46 between which the bottom edges of spacer panels engage in Valleys 47 of the strip 4S. The bottom edges of Ithe spacer panels used with this modified construction may be the same as edges 142 shown in FIGURE 7.

p FIGURES 10 and ll show another modified construction. Instead of a tray, the unit shown in FIGURES l0 and -ll has a bottom or base 202 turned upward to form low `side walls 48. When the construction shown in FIGURES 10 and l1 is placed in a desk drawer 49 (FIGURE l0) the side walls 48 contact with sides 50` of the drawer if the base 202 is displaced sideways. A strip 45 holds the bottom edges of the separators. There are guides 39a for the bottom edges of cards, and flocking material elements 34 on which the bottom edges of the cards rest.

Experience has shown that these units are most helpful and in demand, and by adding the spacer panels and having the flocking material element 34 that these units serve the very desirable purpose for small filing systems for many cards of relatively narrow width which, in

proportion to the length of the unit shown in FIGURE 10, is very small. In special reference to FIGURE 9, it is shown that the bottoms of the corrugations are .6180 inch apart in the formation of the strip 45. This distance has proven most satisfactory in the preparation of the strips and the dies for forming the strips, afnd in providing the slopes of the teeth 41 in the modified form in FIGURES 6, 7 and 8, and the teeth 46 in FIG- URES 9 and l0. In the manufacture of the strips 45 this distance of .680 inch permits the ready formation of the strips in satisfactory distance of the corrugations so that the spacer panels 119 are properly retained and are readily oscillated through their substantial 40.

`It will be noted from the foregoing description that a filing system which is in daily use, and wherein the record cards and the spacer panels are rocked many times a day, that it is highly desirable that the pivoting of the bottoms of the cards and the spacer panels shall be in the same plane so that the cards will not be lifted from the guides 319 or 39a, or be forced to slide along the free surface of the bottom of the tray, or along the ribs formed in the tray.

It will be further noted that the spacer panels themselves are constructed in an improved fashion so that there is substantially no wear by reason of the many oscillations or rocking of the panels during use of the filing -system during the day. This advantage has been accomplished by providing free running rollers mounted in special positions, both as to engagement at the top of the panels, and in one form, in the bottom of the tray.

Also, it will be noted that in many instances it is desired to have a relatively small unit available for sale to purchasers where there is a limited use, and to so construct this unit that it functions in a manner to give long life to the record cards and to substantially eliminate wear and tear of the bottom edges of the cards.

It will be understood that various modifications and changes may be made in the preferred form of the i11- vention herein, and such modifications and changes are to be understood as part of this invention, as outlined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Card tiling apparatus comprising a tray having a bottom and upwardly extending sides, card separator panels in the tray and each of which includes a relatively thin back with bottom corners by which it i-s supported, a longitudinally extending element on the bottom of the tray and along each side of the tray for holding the card separator panels, each element having a top surface of generally sawtooth contour', and the bottom corners of each card separator panel extending into and being supported by contact with the bottoms of the corresponding valleys of the sawtooth elements near opposite sides of vthe tray for angular movement about an axis of oscillation at the bottoms of the sawteeth, the adjacent surfaces .0f adjacent sawteeth forming an angle equal to at least the maximum intended swinging movement of the card separator panels, the bottom of the tray between the longitudinally extending elements `constituting a supporting area for cards placed between successive separator panels, said bottom having a lsurface of material that is rough to provide friction to reduce `sliding of the cards placed in the tray with their bottom edges on the rough material, the bottoms of the depressions that form the sawtooth valleys being at a level to locate the axis of oscillation of each separator at a level substantially equal to that of the rough surface on which the cards rest, and in which each panel has side flanges extending generally parallel to theside of the tray and `into space between the side of the tray and the longitudinally extending elements having the isawtooth contour, and the longitudinally extending elements of generally sawtooth contour on each side of the tray are spaced from the side of the tray byy distance slightly greater than the thickness of the card separator-flanges so that the flanges have running clearance between the longitudinally extending elements and the sides of the tray as the panels are swung forwardly and rearwardly whereby cooking of the flanges in said running clearance serves to resist bending of the portions of the panels which extend transversely across the tray.

2. The card tiling apparatus described in claim 1 a/nd in which the upper portion of the back of each panel is stilened by an element extending transversely across the panel adjacent to the top edge thereof and at a level above the tops of the cards which are placed in the tray.

3. The card tiling apparatus described in claim l2 and in which the separator panel is made of sheet material and the stitlening element is a hem formed at the top of each separator panel.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 534,843 Sowdon Peb. 26, 1895 l1,692,865 lRiederer et al. Nov. 27, 1928 1,707,969 Paulson Apr. 2, 1929 1,900,148 Wood Mar. 7, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS 9,128 Great Britain June 12, 1890 426,996 Great Britain Apr. l2, 1935 24,278 Australia Sept. 3, 1936 932,250 France Nov. 17, 1947 623,738 Great Britain May 23, 1949 656,884 Great Britain Sept. 5, 1951 884,636 Germany July 27, 1953 

1. CARD FILING APPARATUS COMPRISING A TRAY HAVING A BOTTOM AND UPWARDLY EXTENDING SIDES, CARD SEPARATOR PANELS IN THE TRAY AND EACH OF WHICH INCLUDES A RELATIVELY THIN BACK WITH BOTTOM CORNERS BY WHICH IT IS SUPPORTED, A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING ELEMENT ON THE BOTTOM OF THE TRAY AND ALONG EACH SIDE OF THE TRAY FOR HOLDING THE CARD SEPARATOR PANELS, EACH ELEMENT HAVING A TOP SURFACE OF GENERALLY SAWTOOTH CONTOUR, AND THE BOTTOM CORNERS OF EACH CARD SEPARATOR PANEL EXTENDING INTO AND BEING SUPPORTED BY CONTACT WITH THE BOTTOMS OF THE CORRESPONDING VALLEYS OF THE SAWTOOTH ELEMENTS NEAR OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE TRAY FOR ANGULAR MOVEMENT ABOUT AN AXIS OF OSCILLATION AT THE BOTTOMS OF THE SAWTEETH, THE ADJACENT SURFACES OF ADJACENT SAWTEETH FORMING AN ANGLE EQUAL TO AT LEAST THE MAXIMUM INTENDED SWINGING MOVEMENT OF THE CARD SEPARATOR PANELS, THE BOTTOM OF THE TRAY BETWEEN THE LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING ELEMENTS CONSTITUTING A SUPPORTING AREA FOR CARDS PLACED BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE SEPARATOR PANELS, SAID BOTTOM HAVING A SURFACE OF MATERIAL THAT IS ROUGH TO PROVIDE FRICTION TO REDUCE SLIDING OF THE CARDS PLACED IN THE TRAY WITH THEIR BOTTOM EDGES ON THE ROUGH MATERIAL, THE BOTTOMS OF THE DEPRESSIONS THAT FORM THE SAWTOOTH VALLEYS BEING AT A LEVEL TO LOCATE THE AXIS OF OSCILLATION OF EACH SEPARATOR AT A LEVEL SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THAT OF THE ROUGH SURFACE ON WHICH THE CARDS REST, AND IN WHICH EACH PANEL HAS SIDE FLANGES EXTENDING GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE SIDE OF THE TRAY AND INTO SPACE BETWEEN THE SIDE OF THE TRAY AND THE LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING ELEMENTS HAVING THE SAWTOOTH CONTOUR, AND THE LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING ELEMENTS OF GENERALLY SAWTOOTH CONTOUR ON EACH SIDE OF THE TRAY ARE SPACED FROM THE SIDE OF THE TRAY BY DISTANCE SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE THICKNESS OF THE CARD SEPARATOR FLANGES SO THAT THE FLANGES HAVE RUNNING CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING ELEMENTS AND THE SIDES OF THE TRAY AS THE PANELS ARE SWUNG FORWARDLY AND REARWARDLY WHEREBY COCKING OF THE FLANGES IN SAID RUNNING CLEARANCE SERVES TO RESIST BENDING OF THE PORTIONS OF THE PANELS WHICH EXTEND TRANSVERSELY ACROSS THE TRAY. 